Counting scale



J. HOPKINSON COUNTING SCALE 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet l File Nov. 24,

rllllllL i Nov. 6 l923 COUNTINGi somma Filed Nov, 24. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 N ov. 6 1923.

J. HoPKlNsoN COUNTING SCALE Filed Nov. 24. 1920 4 Sheets-'Sheet 3 v INVENTOR Nov. 6, 192.3. 1,473,232

J. HoPKlNsoN couNTmG SCALE Filed Nov. 24. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENDR Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

UNITED vsTaTEs JOSEPH HOPKINSON, OF DAYTON, OHIO,

1,473,232 PATENT OFFICE.

`ASSIGNOR, BY VMESNIE ASSIGNMENTS, T

DAYTON SCALE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COUNTING- SCALE.

application inea remember 24, 1920. serial No. 426,212.

To @ZZ-inkom @it may concern j Be it known that l, Josarrr HorKrNsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Dayton, Montgomery County, and State of Uhio, have invented .certa-in new and useful Improvements in Counting Scales, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description. i This invention relates to improvements i counting scales of the type shown and described in Hopkinson Patent No. 1,110,262. In the use ofthe counting scale shown in the patent above mentioned count readings are taken from a beam graduated with a plurality of graduations. While satisfactory results are usually secured with this method of reading if proper care is taken, it has been found objectionable in some instances. If the aggregate. count of the articles weighed is large it becomes necessary to Space the graduations upon the beam very closely together or to excessively lengthen the beam as either practice is open to objection, the fine graduations being diilicult to read and interpolate properlyl and the lengthening of beams being objectionable on account ofthe increase in over-all width ot the scale.

The present invention has for its objects the provision of a count displaying device or unit of such character'that fine graduations are avoided and at the same time the scale beams may be kept within desired dimensions. The capacity may also be materially increased overpresent constructions. Other objects reside in the provision of a count displaying device which will permit numerical readings to be taken without theV possible confusion arising from taking read ings from a graduated scale having a var1- able numerical value.V

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a so-called direct reading device which may be readily attached to scales of the type shown in the Hopkinson Apatent, heretofore referred to.

Other objects reside in the provision of a device which will be simple to use and manu# facture and one which will not getout of order when in use.

In the drawings: 1

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a weighing machine embodying the counting attachment.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the poise and the beam assembly is likewise counting disc. j This is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Certain parts are broken away to show the interior construction.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. f

Fig. f1 is a detail top plan view of thel parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. j

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified type of disc counting attachment. The drive to this disc comprises bevel gearing instead of the spur gearing employed with` the base there is supported, through the` usual base lever system a platform 13 and extending upwardly from the base lever system is a steelyard 14 which connects with an `intermediate lever 15 suspended at one end from the head 10and at the other end connected through link 16 and loop 17 with knife edges 18`carried by a beam yoke 19. The beam yoke is also provided with knife edges 20 which rest in bearings carried in brackets extending upwardly from head 10. The scale beam which is rigid with yoke 19 includes top and bottom bars 21 and 22 and tare bar 23. Bars 21 and 22 extend in opposite directions from the fulcrum knife edges 20 and at their ends are connected by pieces 211 and 25. 25 has fastened to it a goose neck 26 from which the counterpoise cup 27 is suspended in the usual manner.

The bar 2l is graduated inthe usual manner with pound and ounce graduations and is provided with a sliding poise 28. The tare beam 23 is likewise provided with a rovided with a balance weight 30. p

Journaled in the beam,` preferably between the upper and lower bars 21', 22 is a screw-threaded shaft 3l having one end ex# tended beyond part 25 and provided with a pinion 32. The ends of the shaft 31 upon opposite sides of the beam fulcrum are provided with screw-threads of opposite inclination. The threads to the right as shown in Fig. l are preferably provided with a long pitch and those to the left with a short pitch.

Cooperating with the threaded shaft to the right of the fu'lcrum is a carriage 33 provided with knife edges 34 from which is suspended a counterweight receiver 35. The threaded shaft to the left of the beam 'tulcrum carries a poise 36 which is adapted to move to the left as the counter-weight receiver moves to the right, and counterbalance. the weight of the same when empty. These movements are effected by rotating the shaft in a. manner to be hereafter described. The counterweight receiver being in itself counterbalanccd irrespective of position, the weight of articles therein will alone load the beam and may be used to counterbalance the load upon the platform l0. lith the load thus counterbalanced the displacement of the carriage and counterweight receiver may be used as a measure of the count of articles upon the platform if the leverage ratio of the machine and the number of articles in the receiver are taken into consideration. It therefore follows that if the rotational movement of the threaded shaft be counted, and due allowance be made for the leverage ratio and the number of articles in the receiver, the. revolution count will correspond to the count of the articles upon the platform.

In order to rotate the threaded sha tt l provide a hand wheel 3T Fixed to a stub shaft suitably journaled in an extension 3S from goose neck Q6. The stub shaft 39 carries a pinion el() which meshes with pinion and thereby rotates the threaded shaft upon rotation of the hand wheel.

The balance of the scale beam is deter'- mined by means of a pointer 4Q' fixed to the frame. l() and cooperating with a line ruled on cross .member as shown in Fig. l.

Fixed t-o the carriage 323 which is slidable relatively to the beams 2l and 22 is a bracket Lt5 which extends rearwardly from the beams and which has a depending portion forming a journal for a short shaft t6. Fixed to this shaft are two pinions 4:7 and 48. The former meshes with a rack Li9 which is fixed to beam 22 (see Figs. 3 and 5). Fixed in the bracket l5 is a long stud 50 which supports a sleeve 5l carrying a disc 52. Rigidl),Y fixed to the sleeve is a gear lit will be understood that the displacement of the carriage 33 is proportional to the count when the beams are in balance. Displacement of the carriage causes pinion 47 to be rotated (by reason of fixed rack Li9). This rotational movement is imparted through shaft 46, gears 43 and 53 to the disc 52. In this manner the dise is rotated in proportion to the count. Inasmuch as varying numbers` of articles are placed in the receiver varying graduations must be placed upon the face of disc 52. These rows of graduations are shown at 5l, 55, 56, 5T and 5S in Fig. 2 and are graduated to correspond to the count when 100, 50, lt), 5 and l articles are placed in the receiver.

Inasmuch as confusion might result it the improper row of graduations be. read, I provide means for selectively rendering visible the particular row corresponding to the number oli' articles which are placed in the receiver.

Fixed over the front oit the disc 52 and carried by bracket -l5 .is a fixed shield -GO having a window aperture 6l o t depth sulficient to permit the reading of an)v of the rows of graduations. Across this window aperture is fixed a suitable reading wire GQ.

Rotatably mounted in front of the disc 52 is a shutter G3 having a pluralitviof staggered windows 51155156257 and 53 g these windows being aligned with the corresponding rows of graduations on disc 52. The shutter is also provided with a plurality of projecting tabs Gd which carryv indicating characters indicating the number of articles to be placed in the receiver or pan when a particular shutter window is aligned with the main window Gl. Bv grasping the desired tab and rotating the shut-ter any desired shutter window ma)v be aligned with the main window therebivv exposing the desired row of graduations. The shutter is retained in displaced position by the. tab springing into a depression in the peripher)Y ot' shield G0 as shown in Fig. a.

To counterbalance the shutter the same is extended beyond the point of support upon sleeve 51 best shown at (35 in Fig. l also provide supplementary ii'nlicating characters at each side of the window Gl to show the number oi' counterbalancing articles corresponding` to each row ot graduations.

The construction illustrated in l `igs. t5 to 9 inclusive is similar' in respect to the indicating features and arrangement of shutters. However. the indicating device does not shift in position relativelj.7 to the scale beams. The carriage 33 slides as before and the beam yoke correspoiuling to yoke l0 in the previously described construction is made in two parts; one part t9 straddles vthe carriage as shown in F 7 and 9 and carries the knife edges 20. This straddling yoke is attached to the upper beam. 21Y as shown in Fig. 7. Yoke it) is connected to both beams and carries knife edges t8. Journaled in the yoke 19 is a shaft. 70 carrying Vat its ends gear '7l and bevel pinion T2. Gear 7l meshes with and is driven b v pinion 73 which is tiXed to the threaded shaft 3l (see Fig. 9). Bevel pinion T2 drives a ioI beveled ring gear 7 4: which is lixedto a shaft 75. rlhis shaft carries the indicating disc 52 and is itself mounted in a rbracket 76 extending from the yoke 19a. The bracket 76 forms asupport for-the fixed housing 60 and for the rotatable shutter 63.

A series of multiple tabs may be provided for shifting the shutter as in the previous construction or a single tab can be provided, such as 77, which may be brought into registry with notches in the shield (see Fig. 9). There the single tab is utilized the .front of the fixed shield would be provided with` suitable `deshgnating characters at points over the notches as shown in Fig. 6.

The operationis the same as before, excepting that the dial and shield devices do not shift transversely upon the beam.

1What I claim is l. A count indicating attachment for a counting scale having a counting beam, a counterpoise receiver and a counterbalancing poise thereon, and a threaded shaft for displacing the said receiver and poise relatively tothe fulcrum of said beam, said attachment; comprising in comb-ination ia rotary dial having a plurality of rows of count graduations, gearing associated with the dial for rotating the same upon rotation of the threaded shaft and proportionally to the extent of rotation thereof, a fixed shield over the said dial, and a window therein, through which the count graduation may be read.

2. A count indicating attachment for a counting scale having a counting beam, a counterpoise receiver and a counterbalancing poise thereon, and a. threaded shaft for displacing the said receiver and poise relatively to the fulcrum of said beam, said attachment comprising in combination a rotary dial having a plurality of rows of count graduations, gearing associated with dial for rotating the same upon rotation of the shaft, said rotational movement of `the dial being proportional to the count of the articles counterbalanced by the articles in the receiver, and means for selectively controlling the visibility of the different rows of count graduations upon the dial.

A count indicating attachment for a counting scale having a counting beam, a counterpoise receiver and a counterbalancing poise thereon, and a threaded shaft for displacing the said receiver and poise relatively to the fulcrum of said bea-m, said attachment comprising in combination a rotary dial having a plurality of rows of count graduations. gea-ring associated with the dial for rotating the same upon rotation of the threaded shaft, a fixed shield over the said dial, a window therein, and means comprising an apertured shutter for exposing to view one set of the graduations and for obscuring the other sets.

4;. A count indicating attachment for a counting scale having a counting beam, a counterpoise receiver and a counterbalancing poise thereon, and a. threaded shaft for displacing the said receiver and poise relatively to the fulcrum of said beam, said attachment comprising in combination a rotary dial having count graduations thereon, and means comprising gearing for rotating Vthe dial upon rotationgofthe threaded shaft.M y f i V 5. A count indicatingattachment for a counting scale having a counting beam, a counter-poise receiver and a counterbalancing poise thereon, and a threaded shaft for displacing thesaid receiver and poise relatively to the fulcrum of said beam, said attachment comprising in vcombination a rotary dial having count graduations thereon, means for rotating the dial upon rotation of the threaded shaft, said means comprising gearing and a coacting fixed rack carried by the counting beam whereby the dial is rotated in proportion to the rota.- tional movement of the threaded shaft.

6. A count indicating attachment for a counting scale having a counting beam, n counterpoise receiver and a counterbalancing poise thereon, and a threaded shaft for displacing the said receiver and poise relatively to the fulcrum of said beam, said attachment comprising in combination a. rotary dial having count graduations thereon, means for rotating said dial upon rotation of the threaded shaft, said means comprising a fixed rack carried vby the counting beam, a pinion meshing therewith, a second pinion connected with the first pinion and a gear carried by the dial and meshing with the second pinion.

7. A count indicating attachmentfor a. counting scale having a counting beam, a counterpoise receiver and a counterbalancing poise thereon, and a `threaded shaft for displacing the said receiver and poise relatively to the fulcrum of said beam, said attachment comprising in combination a rotary dial having a plurality of rows of count graduations, means for rotating the dial upon and proportionally to rotation of the threaded shaft, said means comprising a fixed rack carried by the counting beam and a. gear train coacting therewith and connected to the aforesaid dial, a fixed shield over the said dial, a window therein, a shutter rotatively adjustable with respect to the shield and dial, a plurality of staggered windows in said dial aligned with said respective rows of count graduations on the dial, and means for selectively bringing one of the staggered windows into juxtaposition to the window in the rshield whereby a particular set of count graduations on the dial is exposed to view and the other sets are obscured from view.

lll

8. A count indicating attachment for a counting scale having a counting beam, a counterpoise receiver and a counterbalancing poise thereon, and a threaded shaft for displacing the said receiverl and poise relatively to the fuleruin ot' said beam, said attachment comprising in combination arotary dial having a plurality of rows of count graduations corresponding to the counts for different numbers of articles in the receiver, gearing associated with the dial for rotating the dial upon rotation ot' the threaded shaft, a fixed shield over the said dial, a Window therein7 a shutter rotatively adjustable with respect to the shield and dial, a plurality of staggered Windows in said dial aligned with said respective rows of count graduations 0n the dial, and means for selectively lninging one of the staggered windows into juxtaposition to the window in the shield whereby a particular set of count graduations on the dial is exposed to View and the other sets are ohscured from View.

In testimony whereof I hereto alix 1113Y signature.

JOSEPH HOPKINSON. 

